Fuel-vaporizing heater



S. L. WHITRIGHT.

FUEL VAPORIZING HEATER.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT.26, 1919.

1,392,729. Patented Oct. 4, 1921.

ETED stares PATENT @FEHQE.

FUEL-VAPORIZING HEATER.

Application filed September 26, 1919.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL L. lVHrr RIGHT, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of New Haven, in the county of New Haven and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fuel-vaporizing Heaters, which improvements are fully set forth in the following specification.

This invention relates to improvements in constructions of that class available for heat-generating purposes and whereby is effected, in the practical operation of each thereof, the vaporization of the fuel, (preferably a hydrocarbon oil) fed thereto for consumption thereby, such constructions being well-designated fuel-vaporizing heaters.

The object of this invention is to provide a fuel-vaporizing heater which shall be simple and comparatively inexpensive as regards its construction; which shall embody novel features whereby is markedly facilitated the operation of cleaning, the vaporization chamber and burner parts character-' istic thereof and embodied therein; which shall be durable, efficient and reliable in practical service; and which shall possess certain well-defined advantages over prior analogous constructions.

The invention consists in the combinations, details and parts whereby, together with the novel disposition and relative arrangement of said parts, the attainment of the foregoing object is rendered practicable, all of which will be hereinafter more specifically referred to and set, forth in the several claims hereto appended.

The invention is clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a plan View of a fuel-vaporizing heater embodying my said improvements, half of the burner dome being removed.

Fig. 2 is a view thereof partly in rear elevation and partly in central, vertical section, as along the dotted line w-m of Fig 1.

Fig. 3 is a view showing in perspective and detached a fragment of one of the radially-grooved members of the burner pile made use of.

Fig. 4 is a view showing in perspective and detached one of the carbon arresters made use of.

Fig. 5 is a detail view showing in side elevation the supporting base and certain Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 4t, 1921.

Serial No. 326,648.

minor burner parts more immediately cooperating therewith, the top portion of the near base-upright being broken away.

Having reference to the accompanying drawing, wherein similar reference-numerals denote like parts throughout the several vlews, I, in carrying out my present invention, make use of a burner-base 2, fitted with a central stack 2, and quite nearly surroiindedmarginally by a plurality of intercommunicatlng vaporizing segments 3, 3, 3", 8', each fitted with a straight vaporizing chamber, as 2", wherein, by preference, is detachedly positioned an elongated carbon-arrester 2"; and each of the segments aforenamed intersecting angularly the segment next in advance thereof, and generally in such relation thereto as to insure therefor an unobstructed open end, as a, b way of which free access may be had to the interior of the vaporizing chamber afforded thereby, as for the removal therefrom and replacement therein of its cooperating carbon-'arrester, and which open end, of such vaporizing segment, is normally closed and sealed by a suitable removable plug 4:

Hence, it will be seen that the several intercommunicating vaporizing units of my improved heater, each, in the general series thereof, angularly intersecting and communicating with, the unit nextv in advance thereof and having its individual open end, constitute a general, angular, marginal vaporizing chamber whose inlet is at 4: and whose outlet is at 4".

Formed integral with, and immediately underlying the burnenbase 2, is an elongated casing 5 angular in cross-section, and which forms a mixing chamber 5", whose air-intake is'at 5", (preferably duplicated at the opposite end of the casing 5), and which mixing chamber is in unobstructed, direct communication with the stack 2.

At the intake of the general vaporizing chamber aforenamed I purpose making use of a depending intake nozzle 5, to which may be attached, in the usual manner, a supply pipe 6, duly controlled and leading from any appropriate general supply, (not shown), of a hydro-carbon fuel, as kerosene, preferably under pressure, all as in common practice; while at the outlet of said general vaporizing chamber I purposeusing a depending delivery nozzle 6', in communication with a suitable upstanding delivery tip 6",

7" is a tubular chimney housing at its lower end-portion the tip 6", extending therefrom upwardly and somewhat into the mixing chamber 5, shiftable longitudinally, that is, adjustable upwardly away from the tip 6 and downwardly to a seating engagement therewith, and by way of which the fuel vaporized in the general vaporizing chamber of'my improved heater, in the practical operation thereof, and conducted from such general. vaporizing chamber through the medium of the feed-pipe 6 to said tip for delivery thereat, finds its way into the interior of said mixing chamber, where it becomes duly mixed with atmospheric air, inrushing by way of the intake 5", the resulting mixture duly moving from thence upwardly by way of the stack 2 to and into the interior of the burner proper of the device, the latter embodying, conjunctively with its base 2, a plurality of plate-like members, 8, 8, 8", 8', superimposed one upon another and one of the faces of each thereof having formed therein a multiplicity of radial, ignition grooves, 7 said sillperim- V posed membersconstituting a vapor istribin depth the depth of each of the stack-en-' uting burner-pile whose ignition grooves permit the escape, in jet-like volumes, of the vaporized fuel from the interior of the burner proper in substantially all lateral directions relative thereto and as determined by' said grooves.

More specifically each of said burner-pile members comprises an uninterrupted marginal portion inwardly from which, at suitable points therealong, project a plurality of staclrengaging arms 9, 9, 9", 9, whose free ends, preferably enlargedas shown, lie in close juxtaposition to said stack,'at the corresponding, flattened walls thereof, and

whereby each burner-pile member, while being'freely displaceable upwardly relative to the stack aforena-med, is held by such stack through the cooperation therewith of the stack-engaging arms aforenamed, against casual horizontal displacement relative to its immediate neighbor or neighbors.

Further, the marginal portion of each of the burner-pile members exceeds somewhat gaging arms associated therewith, whereby, as will be readily understood, is facilitated the distribution and formation of the ignition grooves contemplated therefor.

There is'detachedly seated on the burnerpile aforenamed a burner-dome 10, held against displacement, save upwardly, through the medium of its depending peripheral lip 10, which latter embraces a substantial portion of the topmost member of said burnerpile, substantially as shown; and a greater or less number of said burner-pile members being availed of, as may be found expedient in practice.

The cut-out portions of each of the burnerpile members form, as it were, a plurality of minor chambers within the burner-pile all in intercommunication by reason of the clearance afforded through the variation in depth of the marginal portion of each burner-pile member and the stack-engaging arms associated therewith, said chambers being in direct communication with the interior of the dome l0 and the latter in direct communication with the stack 2, as will be clearly apparent.

For displaceably sustaining the burner proper, including the casing forming the air-mixing chamber thereunder, I provide a eneral base 10 mainl de ressed as shown 2 1 7.

and accordingly displaced from the general a base provided for cooperationtherewith.

It is contemplated that each of thecarbon arresters made use of shall comprise a section of wire of suitable length, duly jacketed with asbestos fiber or other suitable materail, substantially as shown.

In operation a priming charge of kerosene, or other fuel, is first poured into the depression of the general base, and there ignited for the purpose of primarily heating the burner structure, as a whole; whereupon the hydro-carbon fuel, in fluid form, is conveyed, preferably under air-pressure, to and into the generalvaporizing chamber, where it is duly vaporized, the resulting vapor be ing from thence delivered, by way of the feed-pipe 6", tip 6 and chimney 7,", to and into the mixing chamber 5', where it isduly mixed automatically withiair of a suitable volume, which fuel-mixture is thereupon automatically conducted to and into. the interior of the burner proper, includingxits dome 10, by way ofthe stack 2, said mixture thereupon escaping in jet-like volumes by way .of the ignition grooves of the burnerpile, and laterally therefrom at a multiplicity of points as determined by said grooves, the vapor-mixture being ignited by the user as it thus escapes from the burnerpile; and thereafter the operation of feed duly manipulating and withdrawing the carbon arrester positioned therein, such arrester, upon being subjected to a cleansing process, being replaced within such unit, or a fresh one being substituted therefor,the dislodged plug being also replaced.

The operation of the needle valve needs no description, the same being quite common in the art; but it may be here pointed out that a carbon arrester, such as herein contemplated, may, when deemed advisable, be used within the horizontal section of the feed-pipe 6", such feed-pipe section having an open end normally closed by a suitable plug, as 11, similar in all essential details to the plug closing the open end of any of the vaporizing segments aforenamed.

In cleansing the interior of the burner proper, it is only necessary to lift the dome 1.0 from its seat on the top-most burner-pile member; then displace, by lifting, the several burner-plate members, cleanse them, replace them, and then replace the burner dome,an operation easily accomplished and one that markedly facilitates the cleansing of the interior of the burner. I

It will be seen that my improved heater is well adapted for the purposes for which it is designed or intended, and that the same may be modified to a considerable extent without departure from the spirit and principle of my invention as coming within the scope of the claims hereto appended.

I claim:

1. A fuel-vaporizing heater comprising a burner fitted with a base mainly surrounded marginally by a general vaporizin chamber composed of a plurality of stralght angularly-intersecting, open-ended units constituting a general vaporizing chamber, and having a casing formed integral therewith and depending therefrom, the interior of said casing constituting a mixing chamber; plugs removably closing the open ends of said units a generalbase detachedly supporting said burner; a supply pipe for conducting fuel in a fluid state to and into the general vaporizing chamber aforenamed; a feedpipe for conducting the vaporized fuel from the interior of said general vaporizing chamber to and for delivery at a point beneath the casing aforenamed, by way of a suitable delivery tip thereat; and a vertically adjustable chimney, the latter establishing communication between said tip and said mixing chamber.

2. A heater comprising a burner fitted with a base having a central stack formed integral therewith; a fuel-distributing pile, detachedly positioned on said base and held against displacement in all radial directions from, and through the medium of said stack;

and a dome, the latter detachedly positioned on said pile, and held thereby against displacement in all radial directions therefrom.

3. A heater comprising a burner fitted with a base having a central stack; a fue distributing pile positioned on said base, said pile embodying a plurality of superimposed radially-grooved members held, each through the medium of said stack, against horizontal displacement relative to its neighbor or neighbors, said grooves permitting the escape of vaporized fuel from the interior of said pile in substantially all lateral directions relative thereto; and a dome, the latter detachedly seated on said pile,

A. A heater comprising a burner fitted with a base; a plurality of plate-like members superimposed one upon another, and collectively detachedly positioned on said base, each of said members provided with a multiplicity of radial ignition grooves at one face thereof; and a dome, the latter detachedly seated on the topmost member of said superimposed members and thereby held against horizontal displacement; said base affording a central stack whereby said superimposed members are held, against horizontal displacement, each relative to its neighbor or neighbors.

SAMUEL L. WHITRIGHT. 

